Ian Van Dahl

Annemie is better known as Ian Van Dahl, which is the name of the popular dance group she leads. The Van Dahl hit "Castles in the Sky" was a summer 2001 anthem, while the catchy tracks "Will I?" and "Reason" proved that Annemie and company were here to stay.

Appeal

An exquisitely-shaped blonde with the gaze, tight stomach and sunken cheeks of a supermodel, Annemie Coenen is flat out stunning. What's more, you'll melt when you hear her speak English with that sexy accent -- you don't really even need to check out her awesome bod to be turned on by this dance music queen.

Success

After hearing her demo, an A&R executive contacted Annemie and found her to be the perfect vocal fit for a song he was looking to release with a dance act, Ian Van Dahl. After the collaboration and before either party even realized it, the track in question, "Castles in the Sky," was a huge hit. Its popularity would flow from Belgium to all regions of Europe, Canada and soon afterward, the United States.

Annemie immediately became the voice and face of Ian Van Dahl, and took up touring with the dancers and DJs who formed the rest of the group. After the album Ace was released in 2002, Annemie had enough songs in her repertoire to conduct long tours, and the crew traveled everywhere, from Dubai and Russia to Wichita, Kansas.

At the Top of the Pops awards in 2002, Ian Van Dahl took home the Best Dance award and then repeated the feat at the Dancestar awards. The collective then went to work on their second album, Lost & Found, which was released in 2004. By early 2005, the group had sold over 2.5 million units worldwide.

Ian Van Dahl Biography

A native of Herk-de-Stad, Belgium, Annemie Coenen was born on July 14, 1978. Never constrained to the small-town mentality that defined many of her neighbors, Annemie had her sights set on fashion school in Antwerp from a young age.

In order to afford the tuition at this institution, Annemie began working several part-time jobs, including gigs at a carwash, a factory and in a doctor's office. A concerned friend saw how hard Annemie was pushing herself and invited her along for a vacation to the hedonistic party island of Ibiza, Spain.

annemie meets ian van dahl

Thanks to her immersion in Ibiza's lively clubs, Annemie, who had previously cited Lenny Kravitz and Prince as her favorite artists, was converted from a rocker girl to a lover of dance, house and trance music. A second summer on the island completed the transformation and, upon her return to Belgium, Annemie decided to record a demo. She had always displayed a singing talent but had never focused it in a serious direction.

An A&R exec at a Belgian music label got his hands on Annemie's demo and was immediately impressed. He had just the track lined up for Annemie's mellow voice, so he went ahead and contacted the young beauty. Annemie sang over the beat, which was produced by the new dance group Ian Van Dahl, and the track was marketed in preparation for radio release.

ian van dahl in a castle in the sky

When Annemie's debut song, "Castles in the Sky," was released during the summer of 2001, it was an instant hit. Clubs everywhere began playing the catchy jam and soon, fans were figuring out that Ian Van Dahl and Annemie were actually two separate entities. As the song topped charts around the globe, Annemie and fellow Ian Van Dahl members solidified their relationship and set forth to create their debut album.

Ian Van Dahl's first album, Ace, was released in early 2002. It picked up where "Castles in the Sky" left off. Annemie had penned eight of the disc's 15 tracks, showing that she is just as much a writer as she is a singer. After only three weeks in stores, the album was certified gold in the United Kingdom. On the strength of new hit singles like "Reason" and "Will I?", Ian Van Dahl was able to fill clubs and concert venues across the world, from Dubai and Finland to Mexico and Kansas.

ian van dahl release lost & found

Ian Van Dahl found continued success in 2002 in the form of hardware. At both the Top of the Pops and the Dancestar award shows, the group took home the titles for Best Dance Act. Annemie and company were recognized in the U.S. as well, where they were presented with the award for Best High Energy Record of the Year at the 2003 Wintermusic Conference.

In 2004, as their frenetic tour schedule continued, Ian Van Dahl released their second album, Lost & Found. This release proved to be fresh and well-rounded, and representative of a natural evolution from Ace. Annemie's skills are very prominent on all the tracks, to the delight of fans and clubgoers everywhere.

Throughout 2005, Ian Van Dahl continued to tour Europe and the U.S. while working on their third album. Though always busy as the beautiful frontwoman for the dance group, Annemie still has her sights on fashion and would like to one day release her own line of clothing.